Nickname: No information
Date of Birth: 21 July 1914 - Horb-Dettingen, Württemberg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 27 November 1985 - Ulm an der Donau, Bavaria (West Germany)
Battles and Operations: No specific information available
NSDAP-Number: No information
SS-Number: Not applicable (Heer)
Religion: No information
Parents: No information available
Siblings: No information available
Spouse: No information available
Children: No information available
Promotions:
- Date unknown: Oberfeldwebel
- Late war or immediate postwar period: Leutnant
- Bundeswehr service: Hauptmann
Career:
- Pre-war years: No detailed information available
- Second World War: Served as Zugtruppführer (platoon headquarters section leader) in the 15. Kompanie of Grenadier-Regiment 361 (motorisiert), part of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division
- Postwar: Continued military service in the Bundeswehr, reaching the rank of Hauptmann
Awards and Decorations:
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung (IV.Klasse)
Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber (maybe even Gold)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
Silver Rider's Pin (House Order of General Baade; as did Martin Mitschke)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (16 November 1944) as Oberfeldwebel and Zugtruppführer in the 15.Pionier-Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 361 / 90.Panzergrenadier-Division. In the combat area of Borli the enemy had seized, by a sudden thrust, a commanding height already lying behind the German main line of resistance and dominating the entire surrounding terrain. An immediate counterattack by the Berlin-Brandenburg Grenadier regiment was pinned down under the withering defensive fire of two enemy machine-gun nests. Waiting for the support of heavier weapons to neutralize those positions would have cost precious time that the enemy could have used to strengthen his lines even further. Oberfeldwebel Heinkel instantly recognized the danger. With bold determination he let himself slide down a slope, completely alone, skillfully exploiting every fold in the ground to bypass the two resistance nests undetected. Once in position he stormed forward and, using hand grenades and his machine pistol, silenced one of the machine guns. Exploiting the sudden success, the German assault groups were able to surge forward, continue their attack without pause, and wrest the vital height back from the enemy. Through his fearless, resolute action Oberfeldwebel Heinkel created the decisive prerequisite for the recapture of the position. The divisional commander honored this outstanding deed by awarding him the Ritterkreuz.
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Hugo Heinkel was a German non-commissioned officer who served in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War and became one of the last recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in the German Army. Born on 21 July 1914 in Dettingen an der Erms in the kingdom of Württemberg within the German Empire he rose through the ranks as an experienced frontline leader known for his cool-headed initiative under fire. By late 1944 he held the rank of Oberfeldwebel and served as Zugtruppführer the platoon headquarters section leader in the fifteenth company of Grenadier Regiment 361 motorisiert which formed part of the 90th Panzergrenadier Division operating in the Italian theater. His single most famous exploit occurred in November 1944 in the combat zone around Borli where his personal courage turned a stalled counterattack into a successful recapture of a key position earning him the highest German military decoration of the war.
Little is documented about Heinkel's life before he entered military service. Like many young men of his generation in southern Germany he came of age during the economic hardships of the Weimar years and the subsequent rearmament under the National Socialist government. He joined the Heer the regular German Army rather than any party-affiliated formation and by the outbreak of war had already developed the technical and leadership skills that would later distinguish him as a reliable platoon-level commander. His regiment which carried the traditional title of a Berlin-Brandenburg grenadier unit had been reorganized and motorized to meet the demands of mobile defensive warfare in the later phases of the conflict.
In the autumn of 1944 the 90th Panzergrenadier Division was engaged in bitter defensive fighting along the northern Italian front as Allied forces pressed toward the Gothic Line. On the day of the action the enemy had executed a sudden thrust that seized a commanding height already situated behind the German main line of resistance and overlooking the entire surrounding terrain. An immediate counterattack launched by elements of the Berlin-Brandenburg grenadiers ran into devastating fire from two well-sited enemy machine-gun nests. The German assault stalled and any delay while waiting for heavier supporting weapons would have given the opposing forces time to dig in deeper and reinforce their newly won position.
Oberfeldwebel Heinkel instantly grasped the urgency of the situation. Without hesitation he ordered his men to hold and then acted alone. He let himself slide down a steep slope taking advantage of every dip and fold in the ground to approach the enemy nests without being spotted. Once within effective range he stormed forward throwing hand grenades and firing his machine pistol in a rapid assault that knocked one of the machine guns out of action. The sudden silence of the enemy weapon created the opening his comrades had been waiting for. The German assault groups surged forward renewed their momentum and drove the enemy off the height restoring the integrity of the German line.
For this display of personal bravery and tactical initiative Heinkel was recommended for and received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 16 November 1944. The contemporary newspaper account published under the headline Wie Hugo Heinkel zum Ritterkreuz kam described his deed in vivid detail praising the decisive prerequisite he had created for the success of the entire operation. The award placed him among a select group of non-commissioned officers recognized for leadership under the most desperate conditions of the late-war period. Shortly afterward he was promoted to the commissioned rank of Leutnant reflecting the Army's practice of elevating proven combat leaders regardless of their original status.
After the unconditional surrender of Germany in May 1945 Heinkel like many other experienced soldiers chose to remain in uniform once the opportunity arose. He joined the newly formed Bundeswehr of the Federal Republic of Germany and continued his professional military career eventually reaching the rank of Hauptmann. His service in the democratic armed forces of the postwar era symbolized the successful transition of many former Wehrmacht personnel into the defensive forces of the Western alliance. He lived quietly in southern Germany and died on 27 November 1985 in Ulm an der Donau in Bavaria at the age of seventy-one.
Heinkel's story though less widely known than that of famous aces or generals illustrates the crucial role played by veteran non-commissioned officers in sustaining German combat effectiveness during the final defensive battles of the Second World War. Unit histories of the 90th Panzergrenadier Division still record him as a highly regarded platoon leader whose action at Borli prevented a potentially dangerous breach in the line. His postwar contributions to the Bundeswehr further highlight the continuity of professional soldiering across the divide of 1945 demonstrating how individual courage on the battlefield could translate into long-term service to the nation in both war and peace.
A video of the awarding of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes to two experienced platoon leaders of the Panzergrenadiere, late 1944 in Italy. The general is Schwerterträger Ernst-Günther Baade, who later fell on 8 May 1945. He was the commander of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division, which was fighting at Rimini and Bologna. He wears a neck decoration of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern and a reversible camouflage jacket with the special insignia on the sleeve. The two decorated men are Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel, a Zugführer in 15.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 361, and Feldwebel Martin Mitschke, a Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-regiment 200. Heinkel formally received the Ritterkreuz on 16 November 1944. He later joined the Bundeswehr and reached the final rank as Hauptmann. In the other hand, Mitschke received the same medal on 16 October 1944. There is an interesting anecdote about this sequence from "Die Deutsche Wochenschau" newsreel: It does not actually show Feldwebel Mitschke receiving the Ritterkreuz, because he received the award one month before Oberfeldwebel Heinkel. When Generalleutnant Baade wanted to hand over the Ritterkreuz to Heinkel, members of a propaganda company were also present, who were filming for the newsreel. Martin Mitschke was also filmed on this occasion. When the sequence was shown in the "Wochenschau" of the 21 December 1944 edition, it was intended to show Heinkel and Mitschke receiving the Ritterkreuz from their division commander at the same time. In reality, Mitschke had already received the award from Divisionskommandeur Baade a month earlier. There are recordings of this. Baade, for example, is wearing different clothing, not this winter jacket. Mitschke had to take off the neck medal again for the "Wochenschau". There was probably only the "new" Ritterkreuz for Heinkel to hand. That's why you can only see him being presented with the medal. Only he wears it on a long ribbon. You can see it very clearly at the end of the sequence. Mitschke wears his Ritterkreuz the way he had made it suitable for daily wear weeks before.... For the "newsreel", two simultaneous Ritterkreuz ceremonies within a division to sub-commanders were apparently much more interesting, so there was a bit of "trickery". Of course, if you know the background, you will notice it! Other pictures from this award ceremony can be seen HERE.
Italian Front, end of 1944: Generalleutnant Ernst-Günther Baade (left, Kommandeur 90. Panzergrenadier-Division) during the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for the two members of his division, Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel (Zugführer in 15.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 361) and Oberfeldwebel Martin Mitschke (right, Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-regiment 200). This picture was a screenshot from the "Die Deutsche Wochenschau" Nr. 746 clip, 21 December 1944 issue.
Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel (left, Zugführer in 15.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 361) and Oberfeldwebel Martin Mitschke (Zugführer in 2.Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-regiment 200) from 90. Panzergrenadier-Division, after the Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Heinkel. Italian Front, end of 1944. This picture was a screenshot from the "Die Deutsche Wochenschau" Nr. 746 clip, 21 December 1944 issue.
Here is the English translation of the newspaper article:
How Hugo Heinkel Earned the Knight's Cross
× Dettingen. In the combat area of Borli, the enemy had, through a surprising thrust, seized a height that already lay behind our own main line of resistance and dominated the entire surrounding area. The immediate counterattack launched by a Berlin-Brandenburg grenadier regiment was pinned down under heavy defensive fire from two machine-gun nests. Waiting for the support of heavier weapons to neutralize the machine guns would have taken valuable time that the enemy could have used to further strengthen his positions.
Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel, born on 21 July 1914 in Dettingen an der Erms, also recognized this. He therefore made a bold decision: he let himself slide down a slope and, completely alone and skillfully exploiting the terrain, bypassed both resistance nests. He then stormed forward with hand grenades and his machine pistol, putting one of the machine guns out of action. Exploiting this success, the assault groups were able to continue their attack without interruption and wrest the height back from the enemy. Through his courageous and resolute conduct, Oberfeldwebel Heinkel had created the decisive prerequisite for this outcome. The commander honored this by awarding him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel.
Oberfeldwebel Hugo Heinkel.
Source:
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=285526
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/47222/Heinkel-Hugo.htm
